SIG P238 Problem and Resolution

[benzuncle]

I bought the HD version of the P238 in April of this year; I liked looks, the stainless and the SIGLITE Nite Sights. I handled the Ruger, Taurus and Kahr 380’s and just liked the feel of the SIG better. At the range, the P238 was very accurate. But right from the beginning I had FTE’s on almost every mag and the slide would often not lock open. (This has been discussed ad nauseam.) I waited until I had fired 200 rounds through it (50 rounds of PMC and 150 rounds of 102gr Remington Golden Sabers) before calling SIG and explaining the problems I was encountering. They emailed me a UPS overnight prepaid shipping label along with mailing instructions. I dropped it off at UPS on June 24th. Today, July 29th, I was packing my range bag and about to head out the door when the FedEx truck showed up with my SIG. Perfect timing. I added 108 rounds of 380 (enough for 18 mags) to the range bag. The P238 fired all of them flawlessly. WOOT! No FTE’s and the slide locked back at the end of every mag. The Gunsmith’s comments: Replaced slide – Upgraded extractor. Adjusted barrel. Function checked and test fired with no malfunctions.

SIG customer service added a letter thanking me for my patience and including a 20% off coupon for any SIG SAUER accessory purchased directly from SIG.

One last thing: I sent the firearm to them dirty as requested. I included 1 mag with the firearm. It came back with 2. I now have 5 mags.

 

[Tommygunn]

While I have been concerned with bad stories of the Sig P 238 (I have a fairly new one myself) it's good to hear that this problem was rectified and everything is OK.

 

[BULLSI]

I bought one back in December ran a mag though it and had a fte. Put it away and have only shot it in May of this year about 50 rounds and had a fte on probably every loaded mag. Was thinking about going to the range again this Saturday. I probably should and check it out again.

This is the one gun that I own that I dont care for and your post reminded me of why. And the tiny safety switch I cant manipulate that with one hand. If I get mine fixed after i check it out again I would like the gun. I just dont have anything nice to say about it right now other than it looks cool. I got the rainbow one. Also I only own the one mag it came with.

 

[Guns and more]

And the tiny safety switch I cant manipulate that with one hand.

Tiny? Mine feels great. Thumb, click.

Sell it. No sense having a gun you hate. I heard all the same complaints on the LCP (I don't have one of those) and now people rave about them.

 

[BULLSI]

nope

 

[benzuncle]

SIG P238 Problem and Resolution Update

I took my P238 HD to the range again today. I fired another 16 mags of 102gr Remington Golden Sabers through it with zero problems. Man, what a nice shooter. No FTE's and the slide locked back after the 6th round was fired each time. Once again, I fired a good number of rounds through it taking careful aim. I fired the last 5 mags (as that is how many I have) rapid fire. I'm way pleased with the P238 now. BTW: I didn't clean it after the first 18 mags so today I thought I might have some problems. NOT. After 34 mags with zero problems, I'm coloring my SIG P238 HD a concealed carry piece. It gets a well deserved bath tomorrow.

 

[revjross]

I bought a P238 two-tone with night sights last December. I have a Kel Tec 3AT, it is great to carry but a little bruiser to shoot. I've had 2 P232's, they were very accurate but chewed my hand up when shooting them as the slide cycled. --- Fortunately, my P238 is as accurate as the P232, carries about as easily as the Kel Tec and I have had no issues with it!! I love the little gun. I wouldn't keep it if it wasn't reliable. Good to hear SIG got it right for you!!

 

[Guns and more]

After 34 mags with zero problems, I'm coloring my SIG P238 HD a concealed carry piece. It gets a well deserved bath tomorrow.

Whoo - hoo! Good for you. I love mine and have never had a problem. I feel for all the guys who have.
Isn't it fun to shoot?

 

[Shadowdancer]

It's one of the best guns I've ever owned.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Still nothing but trouble with mine.
It's unusual to get through a magazine without at least one jam. You can see from the wear on the barrel that it's been shot a bit.




I put about 300 rounds through the gun before I sent it to SIG. When I got it back it jammed on the second shot and many times there after. I called SIG again. They said I needed to put 200 rounds through the gun to break it in again after they worked on it. A waste of ammo.
I guess I'll call them again.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I can almost guarantee your extractor is miscut. My 238 HD did that with its first extractor (its back at SIG for its second trip home).

The sig extractor is on top and the Colt 100% reliable extractor is on the bottom. Study them a bit. See the extra chamfer on the Colt and see the poorly cut hook on the SIG. My bet is yours looks just like it.

When (if?) I get my 238 HD back, I will order some extra extractors if they don't fix it and make them look like the COLT version. I say if on my 238, as SIG has owned it more then I have since I bought it. After 2 trips back they have had it more hen I have.

 

[Chevyguy85]

glad yours is working well now. mine eats golden sabers and most factory rounds like candy. i only have problems with my reloads which in all fairness could be my own problem seeing as how no one else i know well has a .380 for me to test on theirs let alone a p238. one lesson i learned is don't put the recoil spring back in backwards...yeah that cost me $85 in gunsmith fees to recondition the gun

 

[sidheshooter]

Good to hear more reports of SIGs getting resolved into good shooters starting to trickle out. I hope everyone else who ponied up the dough for one gets there soon too.

Mine is just awesome. I took it through a reasonably demanding handgun class not too long ago, and it was failure-free over 250+ stressful rounds in one afternoon. If only I was as failure free shooting on the move as the little P238, then I'd really be onto something...

 

[BULLSI]

took my 238 to the range last week. I didnt get any fte or anything like that but I had some casings get deformed somehow. Anybody know what the problem would be. I only put about 50 rounds through it that day. Not every one ended up deformed, I had more casings like this only kept three though.

 

[ruger1228]

took my 238 to the range last week. I didnt get any fte or anything like that but I had some casings get deformed somehow. Anybody know what the problem would be. I only put about 50 rounds through it that day. Not every one ended up deformed, I had more casings like this only kept three though.

It's called stove piping. I had this problem with my P238 Equinox. I called Sig and they sent a new recoil spring and stated that would solve the problem. It didn't. I sent mine back to Sig for repair last Monday.

 

[AK103K]

Anybody know what the problem would be.

Yup, its this......



5-10% of my ejected brass looked like that and was not reloadable. More looked similar, but wasnt bad enough that it couldnt be reloaded. That type stoppage was a fairly regular thing too, but not every round that was screwed up was a stoppage.

 

[BULLSI]

Ok i'll buy that what would cause this and what do I need to do to fix it.

TIA

 

[AK103K]

Send it back to SIG and see what happens. I think its probably an extractor issue, as I kept having those, and these.....



on a regular basis, and both are a fairly common 1911 type extractor problem.

After hearing all the complaints of guns going back again and again, without resolution, I figured I'd just cut my losses and dumped mine. I'd already wasted enough time and money fiddling with it (700 rounds worth), I wasnt in the mood to waste any more.

 

[BULLSI]

I took my gun apart and looked at it. I couldnt see anything that would be obviously wrong to me. Took the extractor out. The extractor looks nice like the bottom extractor in the pics above but doesnt have the chamfer cut as stated from that poster. Cleaned and lubed it. Guess I'll give it another 50 down range, plus it will give mean excuse to go shoot .

Here is a vid I found of a jam from the range trip in May.

 

[AK103K]

Looks familiar. Although I dont hold the gun that way, not that it really matters, it did it no matter how I held it, one hand, two hands, thumbs down, thumbs forward.

One thing with thumbs forward, I would have constant stoppages due to the slide locking back on a loaded mag, due to the thumb of my left hand, knocking the slide stop up and stopping the gun. A traditional SIG slide stop issue, just in reverse.

 

[kokapelli]

I couldn't be happier with my P238.

 

[AK103K]

I couldnt be happier for you.

I can direct you to a dealer that has my old one, for those times when you want to be in a bad mood.

 

[Flint Ridge]

If the brass is looking like that send it back to Sig. Hopefully they are getting better at fixing these. It is important that folks send them back. The more that go back the more likely they will either figure out how to make them, or quit making them. Most work a few don't but being one of the few in this case is bad.

Extractors, recoil springs that fail early etc.

 

[Storm]

With all of this "send it back to SIG" that I'm hearing the doggone guns should come with prepaid shipping labels.

 

[kokapelli]

I couldnt be happier for you.

I can direct you to a dealer that has my old one, for those times when you want to be in a bad mood.

I'm sorry you had a problem with yours and you
decided to not get it fixed since the P238 is clearly
a far above average shooter in the pocket 380 catagory.